Bruno, Guido (1884-1942)

Writer, publisher, and promoter of Greenwich Village artists. Known as the "Barnum of Bohemia,"Bruno did much to promote a romantic, idealized vision of Greenwich Village to outsiders. He promoted and published the work of Village writers, poets, and artists, including Sadakichi Hartman, Djuna Barnes, Hart Crane, Clara Tice, and Alfred Kreymbourg, among others. He was a close friend of Frank Harris and worked closely with Charles Edison (son of inventor Thomas Edison), who did much to promote American talent in music and experimental dramatics at his Little Thimble Theater, of which Bruno was the manager. When he wrote about political issues it was clear that he sympathized with those who took freedom as their cause, including Alexander Berkman and fellow Villager Emma Goldman. In his articles he strove to paint a very human picture of Goldman, especially that of a strong, kind, motherly figure who took all humanity under her wings. His articles concerning Goldman include "Emma Goldman: Fighter and Idealist" (Pearson’s Magazine, Aug. 1917), "Anarchists in Greenwich Village" (Bruno’s Weekly, June 3, 1916), and "Miss Goldman's Trial" (Pearson's Magazine, Sept. 1917) written under the pseudonym "An Old Playgoer." He published many little magazines, including Greenwich Village (New York: Guido Bruno, Jan. 20-Nov. 1915), Bruno Chap Books (New York: Guido Bruno, 1915-May 1916(?)), Bruno’s Weekly (New York: Guido Bruno, Jul. 3 1915-Dec. 30 1916), Bruno’s (New York: Guido Bruno, Jan. 8-Apr. 1917), Bruno’s Review of Two Worlds (New York: Guido Bruno, Nov. 1920-Nov. 1922(?)), Bruno’s Bohemia (New York: Guido Bruno, 19?-19?), Bruno’s Review of Life (New York: Guido Bruno, 19?-19?), Bruno’s Scrap Book (New York: Guido Bruno, 19?-19?), Love and Literature (New York: Guido Bruno, 19?-19?)

In December 1916, Bruno was charged by John S. Sumner's Society for the Suppression of Vice with publishing an obscene book, Edna, The Girl of the Street, written by Alfred Kreymbourg. Though charges were eventually dropped in August 1917, Bruno went on to sue the society for $100,000 in damages due to his arrest, claiming that it had tarnished his reputation to the point of bankruptcy.